Donor from Jerusalem distributes equipment worth tens of thousands to Havat Gilad residents

Among the dozens of items of equipment that Shimon Alfasi distributed in Havat Gilad, there was one moment that was etched in his memory – one of the residents, whose house burned down, approached him and asked for three pairs of shoes, for her husband and her two older children. Since the fire, she said, they had been forced to walk around in worn-out work shoes pulled from an old cardboard box in the warehouse. When she received the new pairs, she told him that she finally felt relief. "My heart opened. To the level that I said I would do everything to take care of everything I can," he shared with excitement in an interview with C14.

Alfasi, a resident of Jerusalem and owner of the "HaNasi HaTacti" ("Tactical Prince") stores, arrived at the farm with his employees and distributed tactical equipment, self-defense tools, vests, helmets, shoes, and other equipment to the residents. According to him, the value of the equipment distributed stands at tens of thousands of shekels, but despite the huge sum, in his eyes it is not a donation at all. "It is a duty, in my opinion."

What did you bring to Havat Gilad?

"All the possible and legal means, so that the men of the farm, the women of the farm, and the boys and girls of the farm would have the possibility to defend themselves, in case they are harassed or attacked. So that we do not reach more situations like the unfortunate incident that occurred, and that if there is an approach of people who want to harm the settlers and the people who guard the Land of Israel with their bodies and souls – they will not have to reach an interaction of face-to-face, but will be able to defend themselves even from a distance."

What equipment did you actually distribute?

"Long-range pepper spray, gas pistols, and tasers with a flashlight. If a woman goes down to the junction below, she has a flashlight to light the way to the gate, and there are already soldiers there. If someone harasses her, the flashlight also comes with a taser. For all the shepherds and farm workers who go out to the hills, herd the sheep, or work the land, we brought telescopic batons. For the standby squad, we brought vests, shoes, and bags, so that they would have high-quality and organized equipment that would allow them to continue standing guard and not drop it because they don't have equipment."

Is the aid not limited to tactical equipment?

"Not at all. Now we are starting to take care of the families whose houses burned down. Just this morning I received the list of shoe sizes of the families, so we will take care of shoes for everyone. We will also bring boxers and socks for all the men and farm workers. It will arrive, God willing, next week, and we continue to move forward with everything possible. Everything we can help them with – we will help them.

I also made a large order of gas burners and coffee kits, so that everyone who needs it, and especially those whose houses burned down, will also have the most basic equipment. The woman responsible for taking care of the families sent me a list of shoe sizes. This is something I have in stock, but the sleeping bags and the gas burners I ordered immediately from the supplier so they would arrive."

What caused you to mobilize for them in such a way?

"These are people who have now experienced two traumas that cannot be described. Think about what it is that the house you built with your own two hands burned down completely, with all its contents, all the memories, and all the past. In addition, there was the murder incident, which is the most unfortunate and painful in the world. A widow and orphans remain now, and the whole farm is in trauma from this event. At least we will take care of what is in our capabilities.

My love for the Land of Israel is unlimited. From my point of view, I love to find the ways in which I have the possibility to contribute my part to the action and maintenance of the Land of Israel and the soil of the Land of Israel."

Were you afraid of anything before you decided to do this?

"I am a proud extreme right-winger. That I can say. I am not afraid and not ashamed of who I am. Many friends told me: 'Brother, this video could cause problems. There are many customers who hold these views less.' I told them that if there are customers who decided to stop working with us because I chose to take care of people I see as my people and my side, then with great joy. The Holy One, blessed be He, will send double the money."

How did the residents of Havat Gilad react to your donation?

"This is one of the things that made me give more and more and more. These people are all one big heart. We have done events in the past and donated to soldiers as well. People say thank you very much, from the heart, and everything is fine. But there are people you do something for, and you see in their eyes that they are telling you, without words: 'This is not taken for granted. I am in shock that you are doing this. I appreciate it more than anything. I have no idea what we deserved that you bring us like this.'

"They feel as if they don't deserve it. Zero greed, zero hunger. They didn't come to devour and snatch. Everyone took only what they needed. One said: 'My wife is not armed, so I would be happy to take this for her.' Another said: 'My helmet burned down, so I would be happy to take a helmet. A vest I don't need, because it remained intact.'

I tell him: 'Brother, don't you need a helmet?', and he answers: 'No, I don't need a helmet. The helmet was there, but the vest burned for me.' He gives you such a feeling of gratitude, and you tell him: 'Brother, you don't need to say thank you. You need to be thanked. You are sitting on the land of the Land of Israel, in a lack of conditions, in abuse and trauma, and the main thing is to stay.'"

What did the meeting with them do to you?

"It was a crazy feeling. My heart opened. I told the woman responsible for the families whose houses burned down: 'I, God forbid, do not promise something I cannot fulfill, but please make me a list of all the needs of all the families. Everything I can give from stock immediately – I will give. What I cannot give from stock, I will talk to my friends and my business partners.'"

Will the aid continue in the future?

"I really took them into my heart. Since the morning, I have been corresponding with the woman responsible for the families regarding all the things. I already had a conversation with a panel factory in Mishor, with which I also have a business connection, to take care of them with panel boards and other things. I have now issued shoes to everyone. I really took them into my heart."